I rushed into the mansion with Masha close behind, my heart pounding as I searched for the source of the scream. It had been Sasha's voice, sharp and panicked, cutting through the silence like a knife. I called out her name as soon as we crossed the threshold, my voice echoing off the high ceilings.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyqORv1PIl
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"Sasha! SASHA!"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWvxRUsAA0
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No response. Just as my anxiety began to spike, her voice came again, faint but steady. "I'm over here."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1V8AmInbIL
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I followed the sound to the study, a room lined with towering bookshelves and heavy wooden furniture. The air felt heavier here, as if the walls themselves were pressing in. At first glance, the room seemed empty, but then Sasha's voice echoed from an unexpected direction. "Behind the bookshelf."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeu86FIgi2
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I stepped closer, my pulse quickening as I peered behind the massive structure. Sasha stood on a narrow staircase that descended into darkness, her face pale in the dim light. A faint, cold draft wafted up from below, carrying with it a smell that made my stomach churn—mildew, yes, but something else too, something metallic and sharp.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4DUbWprEE
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"Can you believe it?" Sasha whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt at excitement. "This place has an underground room."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAjPhiTSIg
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I stared into the abyss, my heart pounding. The darkness seemed to pulse, as if alive, and for a moment, I thought I heard something—a faint, rhythmic sound, like footsteps echoing from deep below.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmHQOCzPOt
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Before I could respond, the others filed into the study. Maya, Hendrick, and Martin must have noticed Masha standing by the bookshelf, or perhaps she had pointed them in our direction. Either way, they were suddenly crowding around me, their presence making the room feel even smaller.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Uv4VNSvYr
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"Are you okay?" Maya asked, her voice tight with concern.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmub8OD81y
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"Is that an underground room? Sick!" Martin said, his eyes lighting up.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2lP89WUxW
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"I know, right?" Sasha replied, ignoring my glare. "I was checking out some of the books, and one of them triggered this mechanism. The shelf just slid open, and I freaked out."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6RnpHXvUp
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"Which book?" Hendrick asked, his tone curious.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCFFv0ry9X
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"I think it was Catch-22," Sasha said.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cBS7ZsigH
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"Where does it lead?" Martin pressed.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUbkMnmAIG
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"I haven't looked yet."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMvXpi9xba
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"Can we explore?" Sasha asked, her eyes darting to Maya, who in turn looked to Hendrick. He exchanged a quick, almost imperceptible smile with Martin before nodding.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHns0y6oAnU
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Before Maya could respond, I stepped in. "No! Absolutely not!" I said, my voice firm. "Are you guys insane? This isn't our house. We can't just go snooping around. How am I the voice of reason right now?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHJA0NYPwI
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"Are you saying you're not curious about what the Whites are hiding down there?" Martin challenged.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHhNcCwOAs
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I was. Of course I was. But I had the decency to keep that to myself.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0lvYV3rpn
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"Not even a little," I lied. "And even if I were, it doesn't matter. We're here to clean, not play detective."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSzjh8z4xg
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"Okay, spoilsport," Martin muttered.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNZxF9rfiR
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"Very mature," I shot back. "Did you forget why we're here in the first place?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKygPwY1IDv
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I reached out to Sasha, helping her up from the staircase. Masha, ever the quiet observer, carefully replaced Catch-22 on the shelf. The mechanism whirred softly, the sound unnaturally smooth, as if the gears hadn't been used in years. The bookshelf slid back into place with a satisfying click that echoed through the room.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfM6MHAmo2
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Cool. But also terrifying.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrQuHtmgvd
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The group drifted back to the living room, but I stayed behind for a moment, my nerves still on edge. I stepped outside, pulling a cigarette from my pocket and lighting it with trembling hands. The cool evening air helped steady me, but my thoughts were still racing.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2cYXE7wTL
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Sasha joined me a moment later, her presence quiet but unmistakable. She held out her hand, and I passed her the cigarette without a word. She took a drag, exhaling slowly before handing it back.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYByl9IDK2U
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"Since when do you smoke?" she asked, her tone casual but probing.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhXAn9y4Re
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"Since when do you smoke?" I countered, raising an eyebrow.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PJoQUhkwq
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She laughed softly, the sound almost lost in the evening breeze. "You know, this is the longest conversation we've had since you got back from rehab."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzvw2GLkkC
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"Is it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTNlU7nQyx
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"You've been distant," she said, her voice softening. "I miss having my best friend. And I know Maya misses her sister."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7oNautsR6
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I didn't respond immediately, my gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun dipped lower in the sky.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaM5fOUTWiD
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"Do you hate me?" Sasha asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrEk5t9wC6
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I turned to look at her, surprised. "Why would I hate you?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6j1YwhdGgT
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"Because I was the one who told Maya and the principal about your addiction."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokErZ63H08
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I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't hate you for that."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ024R1NvoVj
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"So you do hate me," she said, her tone half-joking but with an undercurrent of seriousness.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimrhlhqvI6
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"I don't hate you," I said firmly. "But I've been avoiding the clubhouse for a reason."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSjD3qu2JJ
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"Is it because of me and Martin?" she asked, her voice tentative.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVTEttG0fN
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"It's Hendrick," I said bluntly. "I can't stand his face."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YsfXHryDp
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Sasha gave me a look, her eyes narrowing. "Why can't you be serious for once?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjCYTsFmeA
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbneDNoQAdT
"I am serious," I said, though my tone was lighter than I intended. "But fine. The school counselor thinks I blame him."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdntawUM3Rq
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"Blame him for what?" Sasha asked, her brow furrowing. Then her eyes widened in realization. "He's the one who introduced you to drugs, isn't he?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaDJCnOH3i
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I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. "Isn't he?" she pressed, louder this time.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc24w8o2Adj
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"Yes," I admitted, the word heavy with unspoken resentment.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3O8RtYK1u4
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Sasha's face darkened, and she turned on her heel, storming back toward the mansion. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYymQ39O4Vh
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"Let me go!" she snapped, her voice sharp.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwA6IzauP56
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFW1ljVCvl
"Why? So you can punch Hendrick? What good would that do?"251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9R1ZT88RDA
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdQqSvhgGV
"You have no idea the things he's said about you," Sasha said, her voice trembling with anger. "He acts like it was all your fault, like he had nothing to do with it. If only I'd known the truth."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6jv5LWPNr
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I looked away, my chest tightening. "It doesn't matter what he says. I made my choices."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAv2yUbAKc
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"But he made them easier," she shot back, her voice breaking. "He knew what he was doing. And now he acts like he's better than you, like he's some kind of saint."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Yfo9aPT5R
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23BD31uSVa
I didn't respond, my gaze fixed on the horizon. The sun was sinking lower, casting long shadows across the lawn. "Maybe he is better than me," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "But that doesn't change anything. I'm still here. And I'm still trying."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCwJ0oEsVA
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Sasha stared at me for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine."251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSi2ze9tcdi
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"Thank you," I said, offering her a small smile. "Evelyn sure is taking her time with those groceries, huh?" I added, trying to lighten the mood.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl37aYUnCm3
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"Yeah," Sasha said, though her tone was still distant.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKEfIFnhoO
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I sighed and sat down on the ground, the grass surprisingly soft beneath me. "Sit with me," I said, patting the spot beside me. Sasha hesitated before joining me, her shoulders still tense.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3DGwyOHi0
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The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The air was cool, and for a moment, everything felt almost peaceful.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5p1pqsP3d
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------
Penana
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